51 % The Women's Perspective

9:58 am

Thu January 10, 2013

51% Show #1226

Noel Carmichael is an American in Africa. She moved to Tanzania after recovering from cancer, determined to change her life. She’s certainly succeeded. But while working to improve nutrition for children in Africa, she’s also learning things about herself…and about what we as Americans take for granted. As we settle into a new year, she’s got a viewpoint worth hearing.

Credit Matt Dente

Food is a global issue of key importance. The US is the world’s leading corn producer…and that corn is in demand in countries with growing middle classes…like China and India. They rely on Midwestern grain to feed their livestock as the demand for meat grows. Amy Mayer reports for Harvest Public Media that grain won’t meet the needs of the nine billion people expected to be on the earth by 2050.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, a familiar transition is playing out.

Once a lush agricultural region, the area now buys its food from elsewhere and trades in a more profitable commodity – oil. War News Radio’s AmyDiPierro has more.

Freedom of the press is something we take for granted. In Colombia, however, reporting the news could get you killed. Journalist Leiderman Ortiz Berrio in September reported he’d learned of a plot to assassinate him. He’s been reporting on criminal gangs, kidnappings and extortion in a country notorious for its organized crime. Nadja Drost of the World Vision Report has more .

That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our theme music is by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.